Automatic rotation indexing and masking of drum change device with manual release of the masking shutters

ABSTRACT

A toy game machine is disclosed which includes a plurality of rotatable display drums each bearing suitable combinations of symbols on its peripheral surface and as many display windows as there are such drums for exposing to view therethrough the symbols which have been concealed during rotation of the drums by shutters which automatically mask during rotation and indexing of the drums and which are individually released by manual actuation of the operator.

O United States Patent 1 1 Ohki [451 29, 1973 [5 AUTOMATIC ROTATIONINDEXING References Ciled AND MASKING OF DRUM CHANGE UNITED STATESPATENTS DEVICE WITH MANUAL RELEASE OF THE MASKING SHUTTERS 1,978,395lO/l934 Groetchen ..273/l43 R 3,642,287 2/1972 Lally et a1 ..273/143 R[75] Inventor: Haruo Ohki, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo,

Japan FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee: Yoshie Ito, Tokyo,Japan; a part in- 87,946 6/1956 Norway ..273/143 R terest PrimaryExaminer-Richard C. Pinkham 22 Fld. A .16171 1 l 6 ug 9 AssistantExaminerArnold W. Kramer [2]] Appl. No.1 171,969 Attorney-Bucl nam andArcher [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT A toy gamemachine is disclosed which includes a plu- A 13,1971 J ..46 16186 ugapan I rality of rotatable display drums each bearing suitable 52 us.on. ..273/143 R symbls its Peripheral Surface and 511 im. c1.... ..A63f5/04 as many display windws as there are such drums [58] Field of Search..273/143 R, 143 A, exposing View therethmugh the Symbols whkh have273/143 B, 43 C 143 D, 143 E, 138 A, 1 been concealed during rotation ofthe drums by shut- 4 2 3 4 5 ters which automatically mask duringrotation and indexing of the drums and which are individually releasedby manual actuation of the operator.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented May 29, 1973 3,735,987

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

105 FIG. 2 108 1| 4 h:; 123 L 1 n Patented May 29, 1973 3,735,987

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PIC-3.3

AUTOMATIC ROTATION INDEXINGAND MASKING OF DRUM CHANGE DEVICE WITH MANUALRELEASE OF THE MASKING SIIUTTERS This invention relates to improvementsin and relating to a toy game machine which has a function analogous toplaying cards.

Many toy amusement machines of this type have been proposed, and most ofthem typically comprise a plurality of rotatable display drums bearingsuitable combinations of symbols on their respective peripheral surfacesand a push button arrangement designed to stop the drums successively soas to expose the symbols to view through a display window for thepurpose of pairing or otherwise matching the various symbols on thedrums. Conventional machines of this description have been built in sucha way that the symbols are exposed to viewimmediately after the drumsare held to a stop.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved toy gamemachine of this character which incorporates mechanical features maskinga series of symbols until means are operated at will to expose thesesymbols to view each independently of the others, whereby the sense ofamusement is increased manifold.

The machine according to the invention will now be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy game machine embodying theinvention; I

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine with a rear cover removed toexpose its interior components, FIG. 3 is a partially sectional sideview showing a combination brake-and-switch element as operativelyassociated with a display drum and a selector push button;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing shutter means as operatively associatedwith the selector button and as in a po- I sition to close a displaywindow; and

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the brake-and-switch element of FIG. 3 asoperatively associated with a starter push button.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a toy game machine 100 whichembodies the present invention. This machine includes a housing 101formed by a front cover 102 and a rear cover 103. The front cover 102.is provided with a plurality of display windows 104 to expose to viewthe various combinations of symbols, hereinafter described, with thenumber of said windows corresponding to the number of displaydrums,hereinafter described. A plurality of selector push buttons laterdescribed and a starter push button also later described are arrangedfor handling on the front cover 102.

Referring to FIG. 2 which shows the various operating components of themachine and to the remaining Figures, there are a plurality of displaydrums 105 each bearing on its peripheral surface a suitable combinationof symbols 106. These drums are mounted for frictional rotation with ashaft 107 journalled for rotation between sides of a machine frame 108.The driving force to effect rotation of the shaft 107, hence drums 105,is provided by a motor M through a transmission unit generallydesignated at T. A toothed wheel 109 is coupled to each drum 105 andprovided peripherally with a number of teeth 109' corresponding to thenumber of symbols 106 on the drum 105.

A pivotal shaft 1 10 extends between opposite sides of the machineframe, parallel to the first mentioned shaft 107, for pivotal movementabout a horizontal axis. The shaft 110 has fixedly mounted thereon alongitudinal plate member 111 which is provided at spaced positions witha plurality of combination brake-and-switch elements 112. Eachbrake-and-switch element 112, as better shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, has atone end a hook 113 integral therewith and at the other an L-shapecontact lug 114. The element 112 is made preferably of plastics or otherinsulating material. It is loaded by means of a spring 116 to normallyurge the hook 113 into engagement with a tooth 109' of the toothed wheel109 to thereby discontinue the rotation of the display drum 105associated therewith. The lug 114 is engageable, when a starter pushbutton later desribed is depressed against the tension of the spring116, with a longitudinal frame member 108' of the machine frame tothereby close a motor energization circuit not shown and thus effectrotation of the drums 105 all at the same time.

Intermediate between and parallel with shafts 107 and 110, there isprovided a shaft 117 having rotatably mounted thereon a number ofmasking or shutter means 118 corresponding to the number of windows 104,viz the number of symbols 106 and normally positioned to conceal thesymbols from view through the windows. The shutter means 118particularly shown in FIG. 4 includes a centrally arcuate arm 119, aneck portion 120 extending outwardly thereof and mounted on the shaft117 subjacent the drum shaft 107, a dogleg portion 121 extending fromone end of the arm 119, a selector push button later described, and anenlarged projection 122 extending from the opposite end of the arm 119substantially radially outwards relative to the drum 105 and dimensionedto mask the window 104.

There are provided as many selector push buttons 115 as there are drums105, and each of these push buttons has its tab 115a normally projectingon the front cover 102 as shown in FIG. 1. The selector push button 115is provided with a flange 123 with which to restrict excessive outwardmovement of the push button and an extending arm 124 integral therewith.The arm 124 has a horizontal projection 125 extending from one sidethereof and parallel with the flange 123, thereby defining a pocket asat 126 for accommodating the dog-leg portion 121 of the shutter means118. The arm 124 extending from the push button 115 is further providedwith a vertically elongated slit 127 thereby bifurcating the arm. Thebifurcated portions 124a of the arm 124 are resiliently inserted throughand supported in an opening 128 formed in the longitudinal frame 108'.

A starter push button 129 is located at an extreme end of the frontcover 102 in a position wherein a tip end of its crank arm 130 is heldin abutting relation to the last one of a series of brake-and-switchelements 112. More specifically, the tip end 130a of the crank arm 130is positioned intermediate between pivotal shaft 110 and spring 116 soas to allow-the element 112 to rotate clockwise against the tension ofthe spring 116 when the starter push button 129 is depressed.

With this construction, the game machine according to the invention willbe operated in the manner following.

The starter push button 129 is depressed, rotating a series ofbrake-and-switch elements 1 12 all at the same time clockwise until thecontact lug 114 is brought into contact with the longitudinal framemember 108', whereupon the motor energization circuit is closed to driveall drums 105 simultaneously. The starter button 129 is continued to bedepressed as long as the user wishes to keep the drums 105 running. Uponrelease of the starter button, it is retracted to its normal positionunder the influence of spring 116, and at the same time, the elements112 rotate counter clockwise to a position wherein the contact lug 114is disengaged from the frame 108' to thereby open the motor circuit andthe hook 113 engages with the toothed wheel 109 thereby to stop thedrums. The selector push buttons 115 are now depressed successively,rotating the shutter means 118 counter clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 4,to a position wherein the masking projection 122 is placed out ofregistry with the window 104 so as to expose to view therethrough thesymbols 106 on each drum. Thus, the cycle of game may be repeated bydepressing the starter push button 129 so' that all selector buttons 115are brought back into normal position as the longitudi nal plate 111abuts against the ends of bifurcated portions 124a and trips the buttons115 outwardly. Designated at B is a battery compartment connected to themotor M.

What is claimed-is:

l. A toy game machine comprising a plurality of display drums eachhaving a predetermined number of symbols provided at spaced positions onits peripheral surface, a plurality of display windows for exposing saidsymbols to view therethrough, electrical motor means for driving saiddrums, a first shaft having said drums frictionally rotatable thereon, atoothed index wheel coupled with each of said drums and having a numberof peripheral teeth corresponding to the number of said symbols, aplurality of combination switch and brake elements, a longitudinal platemember carrying said elements, a second shaft pivotal about a horizontalaxis extending parallel with said first shaft and having saidlongitudinal plate member fixedly mounted thereon, a plurality ofshutter means each normally masking a window. against said symbols, athird shaft extending parallel with said first and second shafts andhaving said shutter means each rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality ofselector push buttons each operatively associated with a respective oneof said shutter means and adapted to rotate same into unmasking positionwhen manually actuated, and a starter push button means operativelyassociated with said motor means and with said combination switch andbrake elements through said longitudinal plate member and adapted torotate said switch and brake elements into and out of a position,respectively when said starter push button means is manually actuatedand released, wherein said drums are rotated, said shutter means arereturned to a masking position and said drums are braked to an indexedposition.

2. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality ofcombination switch and brake elements each includes at one end aprojecting hook engageable with said toothed wheel of a respective drumwhen rotated by biasing means out of said position and at the other enda contact lug engageable with a machine frame and forming therewith amotor switch electrical circuit means when rotated into said position.

3. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality ofshutter means each includes a centrally arcuate arm, a neck portionextending outwardly thereof and mounted on said third shaft subjacentsaid first shaft, a dog-leg portion extending from one end of said armfor engagement with a respective one of said selector push buttons andan enlarged projection extending from the opposite end of said armsubstantially radially outwards relative to said respective drum anddimensioned to mask a respective window.

4. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said selectorpush button has a bifurcated extension resiliently inserted through andsupported in a respective aperture formed in the machine frame.

5. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein each saidselectorpush button is provided with a flange and a projection definingtherebetween a pocket for accommodating the end of the respectiveshutter means opposite the mask.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,735,97 Dated May 29, 1973 Inventor(s) HARUO OHKI It is certified that errorappears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent arehereby corrected as shown below:

The foreign application priority date should read as follows:

March 13 1971 Japan 46/16186 Signed and Sealed this 1st day of January197i! (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD. M.FLETGI -]ER,JR. RENE D. 'I'EGTMEYER Attesting Officer ActingCommissioner of Patents FORM PC1-1050 (10-69)

1. A toy game machine comprising a plurality of display drums eachhaving a predetermined number of symbols provided at spaced positions onits peripheral surface, a plurality of display windows for exposing saidsymbols to view therethrough, electrical motor means for driving saiddrums, a first shaft having said drums frictionally rotatable thereon, atoothed index wheel coupled with each of said drums and having a numberof peripheral teeth corresponding to the number of said symbols, aplurality of combination switch and brake elements, a longitudinal platemember carrying said elements, a second shaft pivotal about a horizontalaxis extending parallel with said first shaft and having saidlongitudinal plate member fixedly mounted thereon, a plurality ofshutter means each normally masking a window against said symbols, athird shaft extending parallel with said first and second shafts andhaving said shutter means each rotatably mounted thereon, a plurality ofselector push buttons each operatively associated with a respective oneof said shutter means and adapted to rotate same into unmasking positionwhen manually actuated, and a starter push button means operativelyassociated with said motor means and with said combination switch andbrake elements through said longitudinal plate member and adapted torotate said switch and brake elements into and out of a position,respectively when said starter push button means is manually actuatedand released, wherein said drums are rotated, said shutter means arereturned to a masking position and said drums are braked to an indexedposition.
 2. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidplurality of combination switch and brake elements each includes at oneend a projecting hook engageable with said toothed wheel of a respectivedrum when rotated by biasing means out of said position and at the otherend a contact lug engageable with a machine frame and forming therewitha motor switch electrical circuit means when rotated into said position.3. A toy game machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality ofshutter means each includes a centrally arcuate arm, a neck portionextending outwardly thereof and mounted on said third shaft subjacentsaid first shaft, a dog-leg portion extending from one end of said armfor engagement with a respective one of said selector push buttons andan enlarged projection extending from the opposite end of said armsubstantially radially outwards relative to said respective drum anddimensioned to mask a respective window.
 4. A toy game machine asclaimed in claim 1 wherein each said selector push button has abifurcated extension resiliently inserted through and supported in arespective aperture formed in the machine frame.
 5. A toy game machineas claimed in claim 4 wherein each said selector push button is providedwith a flange and a projection defining therebetween a pocket foraccommodating the end of the respective shutter means opposite the mask.